The past few weeks have been different, a good different, I would say. Context is, I’m taking part in my last college athletic meet (Would it be my last athletic meet ever ? Only time can tell )
I’ve been practicing at Kanteerava Stadium, one of my favorite places : )) My school athletic coach (who has known me since first grade, that’s about 16 years ) trains me for athletic events even to date.
I run the sprint. I love sprinting. Sprinting for fun and sprinting at competitions are very different things. I enjoy both. Of course, there are people whose life revolves around the latter, I’m not one of them. I’m graduating next month from engineering college.
Athletic competitions are a tsunami of emotions. Time is your biggest competitor, the people are next. The time it takes to train and be the best VS the time you are actually on track, running your race.
Events that are outside Bangalore are almost like a festivity, and when you are going in a group, makes things much better. I’m here with my college contingent, around 20 of us, at VTU Belgavi.
The diversity is real, and it’s truly humbling. The people you meet, and their stories, are all so inspiring. Despite the struggles, the limitations, the love of sports unites us.
During this trip, I met a few women athletes, they never cease to amaze 💫💫
I’m writing this account on my train journey back to Bangalore from Belagavi
The start
Reached the venue, VTU Belagavi on 20th May 2023. Day 0 was for setting up our base camp and getting accustomed to the track. The 4×100m relay was scheduled for the 21st. Relay has been our forte ever since, and living up to it one last time :?
The 4×100 Relay
It’s simple to explain, a team of 4, each runs 100 m of the track. 2 curved 100s, and 2 straight 100s.
It’s a team event, and the dynamics are different, to win as a team is different from winning individually.
The nerves are real, every single time. We got through the semis with ease, I ran the third leg. Well, now I enjoy running the curved part of the track, rather than the flat :))
Finals were scheduled for Day 2, almost 24 hours after the semis. This is probably the most anxious I have ever been 😬
The bar was set high, there were expectations, and above all, this was the last time :”)
The Finals
It was time for the Finals. The goal was simple; smooth baton exchanges, running a clean race and most importantly, taking collective ownership of the end result.
We reported to the call room in our tracksuits and lined up in the order of the legs we ran. The starter explained the rules; each of us took our positions.
The race was flagged off, it was a good start. I was passed on the baton; I gave it my everything. The baton exchanges went as planned.
I breathed a sigh of relief as we reached the finish line soon after the fastest team
We celebrated the rest of the evening and had an all-girls party
The 100m sprint
Day 3 was rest day, I didn't have any events. It was a normal working day. Had a few tasks to complete and client calls to attend. Yes, I did carry my work setup, a change of air works well sometimes :?
Day 4 was sprint day; my individual event, again, as I mentioned, the dynamics are different. I didn’t run my best, but it is what it is 🤷♀️
The end
It’s time for self-reflection and introspection. Privilege and gratitude and underrated. Of course, losing and winning are a part; sport is one of the many zero-sum games. I’ll conclude by saying, sport is an emotion, and it’s worth experiencing!